WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Kicks Off August 2 With 130 Events and $6.5M+ Guaranteed

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By Pessi Lamm
29 Jul 2026
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Pessi Lamm 29 Jul 2026
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  • WCOOP Boot Camp runs Aug 2-17 with 130 tourneys & $6.5M+ GTD.
  • Low & high-tier events, mixed games, and live coaching with WCOOP ticket giveaways.
  • Main Events on Aug 16: $500K GTD (Low) & $300K GTD (High).
Spanning August 2-17, the WCOOP Boot Camp offers $6.5M+ guaranteed across 130 events. (credit: PokerStars)
PokerStars kicks off its pre-WCOOP warm-up on August 2, and Canadian players have every reason to pay attention. The WCOOP Boot Camp runs through August 17, featuring 130 tournaments and more than $6.5 million in guarantees across a jam-packed two-week stretch ahead of WCOOP 2026, which takes over the site starting September 6.

Boot Camps For Low Tier & High Tier

DetailLow TierHigh Tier
Events$65$65
Combined events$130130
Entry buy-ins from$2.20Higher stakes equivalent, per event
Satellite entry from$1—
Field typeRecreational / short-stack friendlyHigh roller / bigger bankrolls
Guarantee poolShares of $6.5M+ combined GTDShares of $6.5M+ combined GTD
The PokerStars Boot Camp 2026 schedule doesn't forget mixed-game regulars either. HORSE, 8-Game, PLO, Badugi, and the two 2-7 Draw variants all sit on the calendar right next to the standard NLHE grind

Top Picks From the WCOOP Boot Camp 2026 Schedule

EventBuy-inFormatGTDDate
Sunday Special (PKO)$75NLHE, PKO$300KAugust 2
Sunday Special (MB)$75NLHE, Mystery Bounty$300KAugust 9
Main Event Low$109.00NLHE$500KAugust 16
Main Event High$1,050NLHE$300KAugust 16

Boot Camp Main Event Details

DetailLow TierHigh Tier
Buy-in$109$1,050
GTD$500K$300K
DateAugust 16August 16
FormatNLHENLHE
Both Main Events close out the Boot Camp on the same day, but it's the Low tier that carries the bigger guarantee at $500K, ahead of the High tier's $300K. That's a detail worth remembering before assuming a bigger buy-in automatically means a bigger prize pool.

Free Coaching With $109 WCOOP Tickets at Stake

The coaching angle comes courtesy of BBZ Poker, with Lex Veldhuis, Ben "Spraggy" Spragg, and Andy "BowieEffect" Wilson fronting the sessions. Rather than a one-off stream, these run as a standing Friday fixture on the BBZ Discord, slotted into the 1pm-4pm CEST window right when the weekend grind takes a breather.

However, don't get too relaxed, because nobody gets the centroll password just by showing up late or catching the replay. It only gets revealed once the coaching is already underway, meaning the free WCOOP tickets go exclusively to whoever's actually watching in real time. Sure, BBZ Poker uploads the sessions afterward for anyone who missed it, but by then the ticket giveaway has already come and gone.
Session DatePrize PoolTop Prize
Friday, July 31$1K in WCOOP tickets$109 WCOOP ticket (1st-3rd)
Friday, August 7$1K in WCOOP tickets$109 WCOOP ticket (1st-3rd)
Friday, August 14$1.5K in WCOOP tickets$530 WCOOP ticket (1st)

Is Boot Camp Worth the Warm-Up? Of Course It Is!

Between the low-cost buy-ins and coaching sessions that pay out actual WCOOP tickets, the PokerStars WCOOP Boot Camp gives players a proper head start before September's buy-ins arrive. With three coaching Fridays still ahead, there's still time to bank a free ticket before the real series begins.

Looking for the best promotions? Check out PokerStars promo code page where we breakdown all available promotions.

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